Futurity, Derby Doubleheader at Arapahoe Park

Wanting To Win, Hooray Cowgirl want their second wins.

Fastest qualifiers Wanting To Win in the $150,000 Mile High Futurity (G3) and Hooray Cowgirl in the $75,000 Mile High Derby cap closing day of the Arapahoe Park season on Sunday afternoon.

Thomas Bradbury and Marvin Willhite’s homebred Wanting To Win (One Famous Eagle-Shazooms Doll by Shazoom) could gain the favorite’s role after finishing second against Colorado-breds in the Cherry Creek Futurity (RG3) and then breaking his maiden in his Mile High Futurity trial. Trained by John Hammes, Wanting To Win won the first of six trials in :19.964 over 400 yards by an expanding three-quarters of a length.

Simeon Ramirez and Bernardo Chavez’s Blue Eyed Visions (Visionarian-Miss Blue Eyed Sally by Royal Quick Dash) should be dangerous for trainer Lupe Chavez when she makes her stakes debut after three consecutive wins. She won a close finish over third-fastest qualifier Built Tuff Enough (Mighty Invictus-Inomuff (TB) by Stravinsky). Blue Eyed Visions was timed in :20.013 while Built Tuff Enough, winner of the Rocky Mountain Futurity was clocked in :20.021.

In the Derby, Hugo Sierra’s Hooray Cowgirl (Separatist-Hooray Baby by Dash For Cash) stepped up in the trials with her best effort of her career, when she broke her maiden in the second of four trials. The Jose Barron-trained filly scored her first 2012 win when she won by one-half length in :19.739 over 400 yards.

Jose Castro’s Always Furst (Dream On Buster-Glow N Go Tell by Genuine Strawfly) raced to his fourth win from eight starts when he won his trial by a head in :19.742. The Hipolito Michel-Valverde-trained gelding was third in the $51,000 Lucille Rowe Derby (R) for state-breds in June.

Outnodded to finish right behind Always Furst was Enrique Rios Jr.’s Coker James (Ivory James-Scared by Dashing Val), with a :19.771 time. He was second in the 110-yard Blink Of An Eye Stakes in May at Remington Park, his start before the derby trials.